Hard News: About Arie
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Kumara Republic, in reply to
Paul Henry showed the way. Just use the system that already exists to hold broadcasters accountable for peddling anti-social crap in contravention of their license. That's the offical complaints system, and direct appeals to their advertisers. Filthy bullies like Lhaws do not go away if you ignore them.
Precisely. But I guess the damage has already been done - there were as many supporters of Paul Henry as there were opponents, and if Mr Lhaws goes the way of Henry, his neo-McCarthyist hangers-on might escalate things a step further. It's not yet time to retrieve the crash helmets from the attic yet, but if we ever have another 1981, Henrygate (and a potential Lhawsgate) probably laid the foundations for it.
In the words of Steve Kilgallon:
"Like any good PR man, the kingpins of the "PC gone mad" tribe have subtly built this campaign against a concept that never existed on a fine tissue of outrageous lies, published in in-house journals like Britain's Daily Mail newspaper. The tales of the European Union insisting all bananas must be straight. Schoolteachers changing the lyrics of "Baa Baa Black Sheep" to "Baa Baa Rainbow Sheep", and the blackboard becoming the chalkboard. Travellers beheading ducks and eating them.
They're all rubbish, but 1984 has finally come to pass: we're all stupid enough to believe them."
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I see that within the SST section of Stuff, Laws’ column is at the top of the "Most Popular” list. I imagine that from an editorial point of view, people wanting to see what heinous thing he will say next is almost as good as people wanting to see what fantastic thoughts he has to share. Page views are serious business and he gets them. Laws himself thrives on any attention, and your hate just makes him stronger.
Effective consequences must be ones that do not reward him or the people who give him a platform.
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Matthew Poole, in reply to
John Drinnan seems to have ruffled a few feathers so far.
Speaking of ruffled feathers, still no sign of a copy of Collins' email. Anyone?
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But bullies must be held accountable, particularly when their victims are not in a position to stand up for themselves.
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Craig Ranapia, in reply to
The Paul Henry affair was “metaphysical and mystical”. Do I want to know what he means?
No -- this is the man who said we all needed to STFU and get over the "sensual excesses" Louise Nicholas was subjected to. If you just assume everything he says is mindless and offensive, you're seldom going to be proved wrong.
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Craig Ranapia, in reply to
John Drinnan seems to have ruffled a few feathers so far.
Honestly, Drinnan doesn't ruffle my feathers because he's got quite a track record of getting basic matters of fact wrong. I don't mean "taking a position that is open to debate", but going off on rants about other media players that are not factually accurate.
I would note, however, the irony that the newspaper Mr. Drinnan writes for -- the only daily newspaper in New Zealand's largest media market -- wouldn't know what a fucking free market looks like, and would smother it if one appeared. I also suspect a lawyer went over Drinnan's copy very carefully, so Joyce's wouldn't find anything.
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Kracklite, in reply to
the previous Labour Government (like their British counterpart) where quite happy to subject civil liberties to the death of a thousand cuts.
Oh Craig, I am very well aware of that, and Goff's role, hence my fury. I should be a natural Labour voter, but seeing the behaviour of that smug bastard during the Ahmed Zaoui affair, and the insult to the intelligence of the New Zealand public ("now don't you worry your pretty little heads about it, we know best"), knowing first hand what abuse of authority means, seeing the injuries caused to my friends by thugs in blue during peaceful demonstrations... well, the answer to Juvenal's question should be simple and unambiguous, but it now seems sadly ironic.
I should vote Labour, liberal middle-class academic intellectual that I am... but I won't. I'll stick to my stereotype and be passive when it comes to the crunch - that is, I've a lot of good books at home and I'll be looking for a good one to read come election day. If they want my vote, then they can bloody well work for it, and if they want "Waitakere Man's" vote, then they're welcome to it.
Again, hello Grant Robertson! Do you know who your constituents are? It'll need more than a few remarks on Beige Alert.
I’m actually a little surprised something like that gets published on the op-ed page of a national newspaper. David Kemeys, you are actually responsible for the content of your paper.
Putting on my Pollyanna hat (and dress), I'm hoping that if that is associated with Lhaws, then that stance is going to be identified also with a fringe position that no one in a position of power can afford to be seen to be too close to it. Oh look! A unicorn! And some butterflies!
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Kracklite, in reply to
But bullies must be held accountable, particularly when their victims are not in a position to stand up for themselves.
I'm glad that you agree with me.
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Rex Widerstrom, in reply to
Don't pay any attention to what Michael Laws has to say.
By all means ignore him if you like. God knows I try. But screw this, I've had enough.
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Stephen Judd, in reply to
Again, hello Grant Robertson! Do you know who your constituents are? It’ll need more than a few remarks on Beige Alert.
Have you got in touch with him about this issue? What did he say?
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Kracklite, in reply to
I will be.
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Kracklite, in reply to
Follow up:
Dear Mr Robertson,
I was intrigued by your comments on Red Alert regarding the case of Cornelius Arie Smith-Voorkamp:
"it disturbs me deeply, and I want it investigated."
I believe that the right to fair and just treatment whilst in the custody of police is fundamental to the functioning of a democratic society.
I am also concerned by Phil Goff's intemperate remarks on what he "jokingly" thought to be appropriate treatment for alleged looters and I am particularly offended by Michael Law's demagoguery in the Sunday Star Times.
You sentiments are praiseworthy, but I would like to know what action you intend to take. I await follow-up and I will be making your reply to me known to people who might consider voting for Labour in the upcoming General Election. I was very disappointed in the last Labour-led government's support for civil liberties and I hope for a more serious commitment in any future administration.
I will be very interested in your reply, and in your subsequent actions and statements on Labour Party policy relating to police conduct.
Thank you,
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Bugger! Misplaced apostrophe!
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Sacha, in reply to
I should vote Labour, liberal middle-class academic intellectual that I am... but I won't. I'll stick to my stereotype and be passive when it comes to the crunch - that is, I've a lot of good books at home and I'll be looking for a good one to read come election day. If they want my vote, then they can bloody well work for it
There are also other options than Labour or not voting..
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Kracklite, in reply to
Yes indeed, and it's likely that I'll be taking them... and it's not just because of this one issue. It's less "I am outraged!" than "Oh no, not again."
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Che Tibby, in reply to
Speaking of ruffled feathers, still no sign of a copy of Collins’ email. Anyone?
not a dot.
hasn't been 20 working days yet though.
regarding Lhaws: anyone able to compile a list of his advertisers? happy to issue letters of complaint here.
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Hilary Stace, in reply to
I was one of many who contacted my local MP Grant Robertson when this story broke. He has a lot of credibility around autism advocacy (he is an effective behind the scenes worker), and he was in the process of writing his Red Alert piece. In politics there are lot of competing issues to consider, and it might surprise Kracklite that getting his one vote on 26 November is not more important than that of any of the other 3 or so million voters in NZ. The left is about collective struggle to improve the lot of the less powerful, as well as society in general, not individualism.
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Craig Ranapia, in reply to
The left is about collective struggle to improve the lot of the less powerful, as well as society in general, not individualism.
Well, Hillary, don't you think "society in general" deserves a lot better than Parliamentarians who seem to know nothing about the rule of law, and care even less?
it might surprise Kracklite that getting his one vote on 26 November is not more important than that of any of the other 3 or so million voters in NZ.
Grant could do with a reminder that his majority was healthy but not unassailable (and over four thousand less than Marian's in 2005), and Labour didn't win the party vote (again, which it did my a substantial margin in '05).
I live in an electorate that National has held since 1949, but I'll be damned if I'm going to put time, hard work and money into Wayne Mapp's successor if he or she thinks it's funny to "joke" about shooting people.
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Russell Brown, in reply to
As Hilary notes, Grant Robertson walks the walk on autism issues. He's for real.
Unfortunately, he's been let down by his leader's peculiar talent for stumbling onto the wrong side of moral and political issues.
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Craig Ranapia, in reply to
Unfortunately, he’s been let down by his leader’s peculiar talent for stumbling onto the wrong side of moral and political issues.
That’s fair enough, but on my side of the political divide I hope decent, smart people like Chris Finlayson cringe every time Judith opens her mouth. If folks like Chris and Grant won't speak up in public, they better be opening catering cans of STFU in caucus. Please.
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Tangentially to all this, I've just finished reading Ben Goldacre's "Bad Science". Have any of the Aspergers/autistic spectrum people, or members of their families on the list, read this? Goldacre lays responsibility for the "MMR scare" firmly at the feet of people associated with media - as distinct from the particular researcher at the centre of the controversy.
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I find myself in the unusual position of agreeing with Craig.
MPs partly form their picture of what the public wants from the communications they receive. Yes, one person's vote is just one of millions, but one person's letter can be seen as a proxy for many people's opinion.
Incidentally, this means we should write to MPs when they do things we like, too. Positive reinforcement works better than punishment: let's do it.
If we don't engage with politicians ourselves, that guarantees we will be ignored.
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Yes, engage with MPs and the media, giving positive and negative feedback. I complained to the PM about JC's comments but don't expect a reply. I will also write to the SST about ML.
@Marcus, Paul Offit writes good stuff too. I'm a fan of Brian Deer (a journalist) who has been a whistle blower on this issue since about 2004.
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BenWilson, in reply to
Incidentally, this means we should write to MPs when they do things we like, too. Positive reinforcement works better than punishment: let's do it.
Yup, but don't send them letters. Write it in public, so everyone can see. It's more rewarding that way, and the dialectic that arises might give them more insight too.
I've no doubt whatsoever that opinions expressed in the main political blogs come to the attention of politicians and are actively read by them and their flunkies. I don't have evidence, and expect they would like to downplay that, but seriously, when you need to turn your brain to some task, you only get so far talking to your colleagues. Then you turn to the media, and get the whole mainstream story in about 5-10 minutes, which is not really very satisfying or illuminating. Then you go to the 'net, and find everything you thought is Google searchable to the small teams of people writing stuff intensively, freely, and publicly. Why wouldn't you read it?
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I've no doubt whatsoever that opinions expressed in the main political blogs come to the attention of politicians and are actively read by them and their flunkies.
A couple of weeks ago I was chatting with a press sec for a National Minister, and a post I'd pre-written and timed to be released mid-morning went up on the blog. A few seconds later a quote from the post showed up in his inbox via the press sec mailing list.
So yeah - they're watching.
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